The invention concerns a device for the treatment of urinary incontinence, in particular stress incontinence (due to coughing, walking, etc.) in women. The device according to the invention can be implanted by means of a new non-traumatic surgical procedure.
Urinary incontinence in women can result from a lack of support in the cervico-urethral area, sometimes associated with an insufficiency of the urethral sphincter. Several surgical procedures have been proposed to prevent such incontinence. Among the most efficacious of these known methods is a suburethral support in the form of a band designed to lift the urethra, which is implanted via a small vaginal incision. This tape, or sling, is attached to a needle that the surgeon engages in the pelvic aponeurosis. The sling is then tunneled from one side of the urethra to the other, under the bladder, and the surgeon brings out the needle through the lower part of the anterior abdominal wall.
This method has two drawbacks, however. The first is a risk of perforation of the bladder during the operation. The second, post-operatively, is the risk of excessive tension of the sling, hindering urination. The tension is difficult to set during the operation, and cannot be adjusted afterwards. In some cases a second operation is necessary to release the tension of the sling.
Another method is to introduce small inflatable sacs or balloons on each side of the urethra. Each balloon has a valve and is inflated in situ. It is fitted by means of an insertion system consisting of a sheath, a needle and a catheter.